“Although I don’t know why that lord set up a way to leave, I can’t just let you go. As everyone knows, I have always been the sect’s most loyal dog.”
The dull words reached the ears of the remaining survivors. Lin Xiao casually kicked Gu Jian’s mangled remains aside, which happened to send Su Qianqian’s headless corpse tumbling forward as well. He shook his arms, flinging away the blood on his hands. Lin Xiao’s simple face still carried that same honest expression, but the bloodstains on his cheeks made his smile look exceptionally terrifying.
“That lord hasn’t come to reap the harvest yet, so you can’t just leave without permission.”
Before Lin Xiao could finish his sentence, Wu Yan launched a surprise attack from behind him.
Clang!
The blade bent against Lin Xiao’s sturdy flesh, sending a jolt of pain through Wu Yan’s injured wrist.
“Don’t be in such a hurry, Eldest Senior Sister,” Lin Xiao said with a sneer. A red light flared across his bronze body, and an Ouroboros actually appeared. “You are the one that lord personally ordered to be kept alive. You can’t die.”
The ground suddenly exploded into a deep crater as Lin Xiao vanished into thin air, leaving only a circle of shockwaves rippling through the area.
“Watch out!”
Wu Yan’s warning was half a heartbeat too late. Zhao Wuji’s vision went dark as a suffocating sonic boom erupted in his ears. He instinctively raised his longsword in front of him to parry. However, the silver blade was as fragile as a twig before Lin Xiao’s bronze fist; it shattered into fragments the moment they made contact. The momentum of the fist did not slow as it slammed into Zhao Wuji’s chest, caving in his sternum and causing his back to bulge outward.
Just as Zhao Wuji’s body was about to be sent flying, Lin Xiao’s other hand moved like lightning, grabbing him by the ankle. “Hehe.” His arm muscles bulged as he swung Zhao Wuji in a wide arc, slamming him brutally into the ground.
Left, right, left, right.
When the dust cleared, only a mass of mangled flesh and a sword hilt remained at the bottom of the pit. Everything had happened too fast — so fast that the remaining people had no time to react.
“You’re the insurance?”
“Correct, Eldest Senior Sister.” Lin Xiao stepped easily over the pile of flesh and walked slowly toward Yu Qingyao and Xia Lingshuang, who were in front of the pillar of light. “I knew that guy Lei Wei was unreliable. I had to play along with you all for quite a long time!”
Lin Xiao felt a slight stinging sensation on his sturdy back, but he knew what was happening without even turning around. He tucked his left arm and threw a sudden back-elbow. The force was so immense that it tore through the wind blades, sending Wu Yan stumbling backward several steps.
“In my plan, you weren’t even supposed to wake up, Eldest Senior Sister.” Lin Xiao’s footsteps were steady. The White Silk Xia Lingshuang sent toward him was as weak as paper in his hands; with a single tug, he tore it into two pieces.
“I wasn’t supposed to wake up?” Seeing that the surprise attack had failed, Wu Yan returned to the front, shielding Xia Lingshuang and Yu Qingyao.
“Of course. The medicine sent to you was laced with a forced coma effect. If I hadn’t been held up by some matters the day you woke up, that medicine would have been shoved down your throat long ago.”
‘So that was it.’ Wu Yan suddenly remembered that on the day she woke up, Lin Xiao’s reaction had indeed been the strongest among everyone, so much so that he had even dropped his Storage Bag.
“It’s a pity. If you could have just stayed unconscious honestly, I wouldn’t have to step in and take you back myself.”
“Why me?”
“No comment.” Lin Xiao’s footsteps paused for a moment before resuming his pace toward Wu Yan and the others.
“As expected, there is more than just one or two Demon Sect spies hidden among us.” Xia Lingshuang gripped Shuang Hua and walked to Wu Yan’s side, her cold gaze fixed on Lin Xiao.
“Oh? Elder Xia can stand up?” A look of surprise crossed Lin Xiao’s face. “As expected of a veteran Soul Transformation cultivator, your strength is truly impressive. You still have combat power even in this state. However, you also surprised me, Elder Xia. I didn’t expect you to have the means to capture a member of my Demon Sect. But it’s a pity. Even if you notified the Elders of the Five Great Sects, what could they do? Didn’t our Mahayana Realm powerhouse still beat them into the dirt? Hahahaha!”
‘No wonder Master said she had things to discuss with the Elders of the Five Great Sects the day after the match between Eldest Senior Sister and Xie Wenyuan. So that was the reason.’ It also explained why Master had been frequently visiting the camps of the Five Great Sects while Eldest Senior Sister was unconscious. Everything suddenly connected in Yu Qingyao’s mind, and the threads of the mystery became clear.
“But it doesn’t matter. None of you are escaping today!” Lin Xiao’s pace suddenly quickened as he lunged toward the three of them with explosive momentum.
[Frost Brilliance: Precipice]
A thick wall of extreme frost condensed in the air, standing between Lin Xiao and the three women.
“You’ve grown weak, Elder Xia!” Lin Xiao smashed through the ice wall, shattering it completely. The shards of ice raining down on his body failed to leave even a single white mark.
Xia Lingshuang shifted her body to the side, narrowly dodging a fatal blow while simultaneously slashing her sword across Lin Xiao’s wrist. The impact sent a numb sensation through her arm, while Lin Xiao’s wrist only wobbled slightly. He countered with a heavy elbow strike directly into Xia Lingshuang’s abdomen.
“Ugh!” Xia Lingshuang let out a muffled groan as her waist buckled, and she was sent flying by the impact. She tried to stand back up, but her internal organs were severely damaged and her Spiritual Power was completely depleted. She could only lean on her sword for support, half-kneeling on the ground.
Lin Xiao looked down at the three of them from a superior height. “Senior Sister Wu, come back with me, and I might consider letting Junior Sister Yu live. After all, we do have the bond of being fellow disciples.”
Wu Yan did not answer. The wind began to rise silently.
“Qingyao, find an opportunity to take Master and leave this place,” Wu Yan whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the wind, intended only for Yu Qingyao’s ears.
“But — “
“Qingyao, they want me alive. I will be fine.” Wu Yan interrupted Yu Qingyao, her body becoming shrouded in wind blades. “I won’t be in danger, I promise you.”
“…Alright.”
The wind surged violently, whipping up everything remaining in the space — dust, ice shards, flesh, and metal fragments. For a moment, even Lin Xiao could not see the path ahead clearly.
“Actually, besides you, that kid Li Qingzhou had quite a bit of potential,” Lin Xiao said abruptly to the empty space while standing within the wind field. “It’s a shame he reached such a level of Demonic Possession just by absorbing the Demonic Chi in the air. Now, it’s time to end this farce!”
The blood-red Ouroboros mark suddenly began to move across his body. Everywhere it traveled, Lin Xiao’s flesh swelled significantly. His stature grew taller, and with every breath, he seemed to absorb the wind field, causing his muscles to throb. He was like a primitive beast, greedily devouring everything he could absorb.
“Break for me!!” Demonic Chi adhered to the back of his hand, transforming into a gust of pressure as his fist slammed toward the ground.
Boom!
The wind field was completely destroyed by Lin Xiao’s strike, revealing Yu Qingyao and Xia Lingshuang not far away, just about to step into the pillar of light.
“Oh? Thinking of running?” With every step he took, the earth trembled violently, leaving behind deep footprints.
” [Ethereal Sword Arts: Temporal Instant Kill]! “
The azure blade vibrated at high speeds, hacking into Lin Xiao’s bloated muscles with lightning speed. Every deep cut brought forth a large spray of blood. Under the stimulation of the Ouroboros, Lin Xiao’s body had nearly become a mountain of flesh. Wu Yan was now standing atop this mountain of meat in a suicidal stance, attacking relentlessly to block his path.
“Get lost!”